French Onion Soup

In addition to be being a wonderful comfort food, soup can be a vital part of your low carb lifestyle. With little effort you can create a nutritious, low carb, low fat entree or tummy-pleasing side dish. Here's my recipe for a quick French Onion Soup that you can prepare in your slow cooker. Serve it with a leafy salad for a simple dinner or quick lunch. It also freezes well. (Photo at right shows ingredients just placed in the pot. The onions will carmelize and reduce as they cook.)

French Onion Soup

1 26 oz. carton Swanson's Beef Stock

1 16 oz. can Swanson's Chicken Broth

1 very large sweet onion (mayan, vidalia, etc.) sliced very thin.

1 scant capful of Mrs. Dash (Original)

Few dashes of thyme

Few grinds of the pepper mill

1/4 cup grated or a few thinly sliced pieces of provolone cheese per serving (optional)

Slice of Brownberry Carb Counting Multi-Grain Bread, toasted, per serving (optional)

Pour stock and broth into slow cooker. Add Mrs. Dash, thyme, and pepper. Stir. Add onion. Stir again. Place lid on slow cooker and let cook on high for 5-6 hours or longer, if desired.

Optional (per serving): Toast a slice of Brownberry Carb Counting Multi-Grain Bread. Float in bowl of soup. Place 1/4 cup of grated provolone cheese on the top. Place under broiler or microwave to melt cheese. Serve immediately.

Makes about 4 servings, approximately 3g carbs per serving without bread and provolone; 9g carbs with bread and provolone.

Some Low Carb Pantry staples

If you're serious about pursuing a low carb lifestyle there are several items you should consider keeping stocked in your pantry. Most low carbers rely heavily on eggs, butter, and cream, but there are other ingredients that will enhance your meals without adding any -- or just a very few -- carbs to your diet. Here are some that I find indispensable, and they will be used in some recipes that I will be posting:

* Mrs. Dash. Mrs. Dash can be used to flavor soups, veggies, and meats without adding any carbs. The variety of flavors makes it a welcome addition to any pantry. I always make sure I have the following available: Original; Tomato, Basil, and Garlic; Lemon Pepper; and Southwest Chipotle.

* Pam Vegetable Spray. The primary ingredient of Pam spray is canola oil. I like regular and butter-flavored.

* Olive oil. Carapelli's Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil is made from the first cold press and has a delicate yet distinct flavor. A small bottle goes a long way.

* Sea salt. For the most part I avoid salt but occasionally I'll add a pinch of sea salt to a dish.

* Black pepper. McCormick's grinders are great.

* Hot sauce. A few drops go a long way and it's very low-carb friendly.

* Heinz's One Carb Ketchup. A cashier asked me if there was one carb in the entire bottle. There isn't -- it's one carb per serving. It's sweetened a bit with Splenda.
Purchase.

* Splenda Brown Sugar Blend. You use half of a serving compared to regular brown sugar, e.g., if you like 1 teaspoon of brown sugar in your oatmeal, you only use 1/2 teaspoon of Splenda Brown Sugar Blend.
Purchase.

* Mustard. I keep yellow mustard as well as Gulden's Spicy Brown Mustard on hand.

* Pickles. Look for Vlasic Sweet Gerkins - No Sugar Added (sweetned with Splenda). These may be chopped and substituted for relish in dishes such as deviled eggs or used as topping for a hot dog. Three pickles have only 1 gram of carbs!

* Stock. Be sure to keep cans or boxes of chicken, beef, and veggie broth on your shelves. We'll be using them in dishes such as Chicken Normandy, Low Carb Chili, and French Onion Soup.